Fitxa persona

Cristina Real is a research assistant in the Department of Prehistory, Archaeology, and Ancient History at the University of València in Spain. She began her research career in the field of zooarchaeology and taphonomy in 2012 with a predoctoral fellowship funded by the Atracció de Talent de VLC-CAMPUS grant. She completed her master's degree in archaeology with special honors and defended her doctoral thesis in 2017 with unanimous honors, earning an international doctorate as well as a research award from the Juan Gil Albert Institute in Alicante. Real has worked as an archaeozoological researcher at the Museum of Prehistory in Valencia and has held two postdoctoral positions through the PROMETEO and APOST-GVA programs.

Real has published in books specific to her field of research, zooarchaeology, as well as in high-quality, indexed Q1 national and international journals, such as JAS:R, JPA, QInt., JQS, and PLOS ONE, among others. She has also coordinated the co-edition of a volume dedicated to archaeozoological studies. She has also participated in prestigious national and international conferences, such as ICAZ, SAA, EAA, UISPP, and EZI, presenting on specific topics and leading interdisciplinary work.

She has spent time at renowned international research centers in different countries, such as Italy, Germany, and France. There, she has learned about other faunal assemblages of different origins and chronologies, and participated in the study of small prey assemblages, such as leporids, marmots, and carnivores.

She is a member of the PREMEDOC research group at the University of Valencia and has participated in various research projects focused on Paleolithic human groups in the Mediterranean and Cantabrian regions as a member of the working team.

Beyond these projects, he has developed his independent research skills by co-directing various archaeological excavations (Cova de les Cendres, bric de l'Hedra, Barranc Fondo) and studying faunal assemblages in Spain and Italy, including those at Cueva de Llonin, Cueva del Arco, Cova del Moro, Cueva de la Cocina, Cova Foradada, Ratlla del bubo, Riparo del Broion, Uluzzo C, Roccia de San Sebastiano.

He teaches in various university degree programs and has co-directed doctoral and master's theses. He has also been a member of the Academic Coordination Committee for the Master's Degree in Archaeology at the University of Valencia. He also participates in several Educational Innovation Projects.

In the coming years, his research will focus on understanding the subsistence models of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, including Neanderthal and early modern human groups. This line of research includes determining the processing patterns of exploited resources (dietary or secondary) and how these resources are treated for consumption, depending on the type of prey (raw, cooked, or stored). His research aims to delve deeper into the taphonomic aspects (human and carnivore activities, as well as diagenetic alterations) that comprise faunal assemblages by applying experimental programs and conducting current studies.